Tie-plate machine



July 1 1924. 7 1,499,537

J. KURKOWSKI TIE PLATE MACHINE Filed June 12, 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet Jul 1 1924. 1,499,537

\ J. KURKOWSKI TIE PLATE MACHINE Filed June 12 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIGJI- /NVENTO E WITNESSES flaa kwwg I /"7MMM' July 1 1924.

1,499,537 J. KURKOWSKI TI'E PLATE MACHINE Filed June'l2 i925 FIE-L11.

5 Sheets-$heet 5 Patented July 1, 1924.

UNITED STATES JOSEPH KURKOWSKI, 0F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

TIE-PLATE MACHINE.

Application filed June 12, 1923.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JosnrH KURKoWsKr, residing at Pittsburgh. in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, a citizen of the United States, have invented or dis covered certain new and useful Improvements in Tie-Plate Machines, of which improvements the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in punching and shearing machinery, and consists in an automatic control of the sequence of feeding and working steps. I have applied and perfected my invention in a machine for forming tie plates, used in laying the rails of railways, and in that application I shall describe it.

In the accompanying drawings Figs. I and II are views in frontand side elevation of a tie plate punching and shearing machine in which my invention is embodied. Fig. III is a Wiring diagram, showing how the steps of operation are coordinated, so that they are performed automatically and in proper sequence. Fig. IV is a view in perspective and to larger scale of a tie plate produced in the machine.

Tie plates for railways are formed by rolling a steel billet to a bar of proper shape and dimensions, punching the rolled bar.

when cold and at properly recurrent intervals with groups of spike holes properly spaced, and shearing the punched bar at corresponding intervals. Referring to Fig. IV, the edges a-b, cd of the tie plate there shown are the edges of the original bar, the edges a-c, bd are the cut edges, and e, 7", g are the punched spike holes. The cross-sectional shape of the rolled bar is shown along the edge bd.

The machine consists essentially of a. massive base 1 carrying the die block 2 and the stationary shear blade 3 and of the vertically reciprocable head 4: carrying the punches 5 and the movable shear blade 6.

i An entering bar is shown at B, and the di rection of its advance is indicated in Fig. II by an arrow. The head reciprocates. The bar is advanced intermittently, and with each reciprocation of the head a finished tie plate is sheared'from the end of the bar, and at the same time and by the same stroke a set of holes is punched in the portion of the bar which on the next bar advance and next shearing will constitute the next finished plate, The machine having these Serial No. 644,853.

general features and characteristics is well known and requires no further explanation. I now pass to those features in which my invention centers.

A pair of pinch rolls 7, 8 is provided for feeding the bar B forward to position beneath punch and shear. These rolls are positively driven by a small motor 9, rendered intermittently active, in the manner presently to be described. The lower roll 8 of the pair is held yieldingly in elevated position by a counterweight 10, and the up per roll 7 is backed by springs 11, which may of course be adjustable in degree of compression. Thus the material as it is fed forward is relieved of dragging friction over the face of die block 2, and proper tension ifs afforded to effect the desired intermittent eed.

In the line of feed at the proper space interval beyond the die block 2 is arranged a swinging spring-backed stop 12. This stop is conveniently mounted upon the bed of the machine. Normally the spring stands in the position shown in Fig, II, being sustained in. that position by the expansion of its backing spring 13. When engaged by the advancing bar, it is swung in clockwise direction (as seen in Fig. II), the spring 13 being compressed. Such clockwise swing of stop 12 effects the separation of a block 14 carried by stop 12 from a block 15 which is carried on a stationary part of the apparatus. These blocks 14: and 15 are arranged in the circuit through which motor 9 is energized. hen they are in contact current flows, when they are separated current flow is cut off. Accordingly, when stop 12 swings in the manner described, motor 9 stops and rolls 7 and 8 cease to revolve. and they remain at rest so long as stop 12 remains so swung aside,and,longer, as presently will appear.

A second make-and-break device is arranged in the same circuit, the circuit through which the motor 9 is energized. This make-and-break device is so constructed that it is opened by the descent of the punching and shearing head of the machine, and is not closed again until the rising head has passed through a portion of its range of rise. Various mechanical contrivances may be resorted to for effecting this. I show a rod 16 backed by a spring 17 engaging from beneath a block 18, The block 18 is station ary, the rod 16 is carried by the reciprocatory head. Vhen the head is up, in the position shown in Fig. II, the,spring 17 is under expansive tension. As the head descends the spring contracts, until presently, the tension being wholly relieved while the head is mid-way in its descent, further descent of the head effects opening of the device. lVhen the head rises it passes through part of its range before the rod 16 engages the block 18. Thereafter as the head rises spring 17' is extended. 1

Reference to Fig. III will show the two make-and-break devices, ll15 and 16-18, arranged in, the same circuit, through which circuit the motor 9 is shown to be energized.

The apparatus described is coordinated to operate as follows. The pinch rolls 7, 8 driven, one or both of them by motor 9 carry bar B forward from right to left, as seen in Fig. II. When in this right to left advance bar B strikes stop 12 and swings it, the make-and-break device 1%15 is opened, the motor-energizing circuit is broken, the motor 9 stops, and the bar B comes to rest. The punching and cutting head i then makes its down stroke. On this stroke it shears between blades 3 and ,5 a finished tie plate from the end of bar B and also punches a set of properly spaced spike holes in bar B in such position that on the next succeeding stroke another properly punched plate may be sheared from the end of the ban.

The severed plate falls away and is carried off, down chute 19. As soon as the severed plate falls away the stop 12 returns under spring tension to its initial position, and make-and-break device 1t15 is closed again. But the motor 9 is not yet energized again. For, after make-and-break device 1415 had opened, stopping the motor and bringing the bar B to rest, the punching and cutting head 1 descended, and it in its descent opened make-and-break device 1618, and this last mentioned make-and-break device renrains open. The punching and shearing head after descending and performing its essential ofiice rises again and after a sufiicient interval in the course of its rise it effects the closing of makeandbreak device 1618. Then and not till then the motor energizing circuit is completed, the motor 9 is driven, rolls 7, 8 are rotated, and bar B advances again, until striking stop 12 again, it sets in motion the sequence of repetitive operations just indi cated.

The delay in renewing the rotation of the feed rolls after a finished plate has been cut away is for this reason to allow the punching and. cutting head to rise clear of the work before the work is subjected again to the driving force of the feed mechanism. It will be understood that, so long as the trolcan be changed, and the automatic fea-:

ture eliminated. Then a manuall .controlled starter 21 becomes alone e ective.

WVhen for example the forward end of a new.

bar is to be trimmed or when after a bar has been almost entirely punched [and sheared to tie plates, a tail end'still remains to be dealt with, then the switch 20 is swung, and.

the feed then is under manual control.

My invention is applicable generally to the intermittent feeding of materialbetween cooperating relatively reciprocatory parts.

I claim as my invention:

1. Feed mechanism for a machine including relatively reciprocatory parts, said feed mechanism including work-engaging members an electric motor for driving said workengaging members, an energizing circuit for said motor, a normally closed make-and break device arranged in said circuit and adapted to be opened by the advance of the work, and a second make-and-break device arranged in said circuit and adapted to be opened and closed by the relative reciprocation of the parts first named.

2. Feed mechanism for a machine including relatively reciprocatory parts, said feed mechanism including work-engaging members an electric motor for driving said workengaging members, an energizing circuit for said motor, a normally closed make-andbreak devic arranged in said circuit and adapted to be opened by the advance of the work, a second make-and-break device arranged in said circuit and adapted to be opened and closed by the relative reciprocation of the parts first named, a manually operable switch also arranged in said c'ir-.

cuit, and manually controlled means for short-circuiting said make-and-break devices. y I

3. In a punching and shearing machine the combination with a stationary bed carrying die, plate and stationary blade of a reciprocable head carrying punch and movable blade, a pair of feed rolls, an electric motor for driving said rolls, an energizin circuit for said motor, a spring backs swinging stop borne by said bed and arranged in th line of advance of the material controlling and constituting make-andbreak device in said circuit, a second spring backed stop borne by said head constituting a second make and-break device in said circuit, the parts so arranged that they open in sequenc and close in sequence.

4. Feed mechanism for a machine including relatively reciprocatory parts, said feed mechanism including a pair of feed rolls, means for rotating said rolls, means operated by the advance of the Work for rendering the roll-rotating means inefiective t0 ro- 10 tate the rolls, and means operated by recip rocation of the machine parts for maintaining the roll-rotating means in such inefiective condition.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

JOSEPH KURKOWSKI. Witnesses:

GEO. A. THEUSOH, HARRY P. MENGES. 

